Thessaloniki
An ideal destination to research and innovate
Thessaloniki
An ideal destination to research and innovate
Research and education: • 5 major Universities including the biggest in the region (AUTH is the biggest university in Balkans) and the
International one (IHU)
• 5 world dominant research centers within the biggest research institute in the country (CERTH)
• 150K+ undergrads, 20K+ grads students
• 5K+ Researchers
• 500M+ Research Budget (EU, National, Regional, Private) the Thessaloniki Science Center and
Technology Museum is one of the most high-tech museums in Southeastern Europe
Innovation: • Vibrant start-up community
• Pre-Incubators/Accelerators 4 major incubators, the biggest in the country Innovation zone hosting and
welcome facilities
Economy:• Many SMEs, only some large companies High-tech industry mostly SMEs Service and administration sector
70%+
Thessaloniki
An ideal destination to live and work
Thessaloniki
An ideal destination to live and work
Climate: A transitional climatic zone. Winters are relatively dry, with sporadic snowfalls. Summers are hot with rather
humid nights. The average number of days the temperature is above 32°C (90°F) or below 0°C (32°F) is 32.
Position: Central Macedonia, North Greece, on the Mediterranean, in the South-East corner of Europe, next to Asia,
Middle-East, Russia, less than 300 miles from seven major economy centers in Southeast Europe.
Culture: • The city's name derives from a princess’s name, Thessalonike of Macedon, half sister of Alexander the
Great
• Countless archaeological sites from the Roman and Eastern Roman Empire("co-reigning" city of the
Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire, alongside Constantinople)
• Five Star Vergina site (tomb of Filippos of Macedon, father of Alexander the Great)
• European Capital of Culture (1997) and European Youth Capital (2014)
• Thessaloniki International Film Festival &Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival
• National Theatre of Northern Greece & Thessaloniki Concert Hall
• Home of a number of festivals and events.
Thessaloniki
An ideal destination to live and work
Sports: • World class sporting facilities, hosted soccer games during the 2004 Olympics
• Sea& Winter sport areas
• Top league European and International Events
Food: Eastern Cuisine, famous for the local snacks Koulouri, Trigona and Bougatsa
Leisure: The city has long been known in Greece for its vibrant city culture, including having the most cafes and
bars per capita of any city in Europe; and as having some of the best nightlife and entertainment in the
country, thanks to its large young population and multicultural feel. Lonely Planet listed Thessaloniki
among the world's "ultimate party cities”. Thessaloniki is renowned for its major shopping streets and lively
laneways.
Vacation: Well-known destination for summer vacation, with extraordinary sunny beaches (Chalkidiki) and
mountain forests (Olympus)
Thessaloniki
An innovation friendly destination to invest and pioneer
Thessaloniki
An innovation friendly destination to invest and pioneer
Business Friendly community: being in the cross-roads of East-West trade for centuries it enjoys a vibrant business
community well receptive to external establishments
The Thessaloniki International Trade Fair: the most important business event in Greece
Extrovert environment: A multi-cultural multi-ethnic along the centuries city, re-discovering its place as a business and cultural
metropolis bridging the East to the West and the North to the South
Thessaloniki
An innovation friendly destination to invest and pioneer
Transport and Logistics Facilities:
• Less than 600 Km (300 miles) to seven major economy centers in Southeastern Europe: Athens, Belgrade, Bucurest, Istanbul, Skopje, Sofia, Tirana -Flight connections to 40+ destinations
• Flight Cargo connections worldwide
• Port in operation for 2300 years, the largest transit-trade port in the country, servicing 15 million inhabitants of its
international mainland:
It occupies a total space of 1.5 million square meters and it spreads across a length of 3.5km.
6 piers suitable for servicing all types of cargo as well as passenger traffic, with installations suitable for liquid fuel storage and it is located in proximity to the international, natural-gas pipeline.
Free Zone (control type I) linked to a dense, traffic network that is directly linked to the national and international road network, bypassing thus city entrance.
Linked to the national and international railroad network.
Thessaloniki
An innovation
friendly
destination to
invest and
pioneer
Thessaloniki
An friendly
destination to
invest and
pioneer
Thessaloniki
An innovation friendly destination to invest and pioneer
Innovation Zone: A vibrant ecosystem of people and resources highly receptive to international cooperation
Main Technology Areas: • Life Sciences: agro biotechnology, food industry
• Information & communication technology
• Transport technology
• Automotive Design and Simulation Nanotechnology
• Energy and Green Technologies
Thessaloniki
Success business and start up stories
Thessaloniki
Success business stories
Thessaloniki
Success start up stories
Thessaloniki
Innovation Zone Vision
Thessaloniki
Innovation Zone Vision
To promote Thessaloniki as an innovation-friendly destination and facilitate
international cooperation to drive development of knowledge and attract investment
that will create high-value jobs and skills, spearheading the transformation of the
economic profile of Central Macedonia with direct positive impact on Greece’s
competitiveness.
Thessaloniki
Innovation Zone Strategy
Thessaloniki
Innovation
Zone Strategy
Thessaloniki
Innovation Zone Offers
Thessaloniki Innovation Friendly Destination
logo applications
based on the brand book
Website – www.investinthessaloniki.comWebsite
http://www.in
novativethess
aloniki.com/
Thessaloniki is….. IN!
INtelligent
INviting
INclusive
INcentivised
INnovation friendly!INtellectual
• “The road to success is always under construction!”
• Lily Tomlin